elimination

noun

elim·​i·​na·​tion i-ˌli-mə-ˈnā-shən 

often attributive

: the act, process, or an instance of eliminating or discharging: such as

a

: the act of discharging or excreting waste products from the body

b

: the removal from a molecule of the constituents of a simpler molecule

ethylene is formed by the elimination of water from ethanol

compare addition sense 4

Examples of elimination in a Sentence

the elimination of waste products from the body

Recent Examples on the Web

Patterson helped propose Amendment 5, proposing the elimination of Missouri’s income tax, and a bill proposing a financial incentive model rewarding high-performance schools in addition to standardized accountability report cards for public schools. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Disease expert predicts more cases, hospitalizations and deaths Many public health officials suspected the United States will lose its measles elimination status by the end of 2025,. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026

The reflexive response to a public-health crisis—to dispatch medical and law-enforcement teams to the front lines—only guarantees the swift elimination of precisely those responsible for effective mitigation. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Chloe doesn’t deserve to be safe, but that double elimination sure would shake things up. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing elimination

• process of elimination

Rhymes for elimination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

elimination

noun

elim·​i·​na·​tion i-ˌlim-ə-ˈnā-shən 

: the act or process of eliminating or emptying: as

a

: the act of excreting or emptying waste products from the body

b

: the act or process of excluding from a match, game, or contest the losers of any round or heat

Medical Definition

elimination

noun

elim·​i·​na·​tion i-ˌlim-ə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the act of discharging or excreting waste products or foreign substances from the body

2

eliminations plural : bodily discharges including urine, feces, and vomit

3

: the removal from a molecule of the constituents of a simpler molecule

ethylene is formed by the elimination of water from ethanol